KALAMAZOO -- The Kalamazoo school board reaffirmed its support Wednesday for renewing a 1.5-mill countywide school tax, two days after a Portage school board member urged putting a lower levy on the May ballot.

The Kalamazoo board first voted in January to seek a three-year renewal of the tax, which is levied in the county's nine school districts, which also include Portage, Climax-Scotts, Comstock, Galesburg-Augusta, Parchment, Schoolcraft and Vicksburg.

The $11.5 million in annual tax revenues are distributed to the nine districts, with each receiving about $335 per student. The tax costs the average homeowner about $90 a year.

For the tax request to appear on the ballot, it must have the support of school boards representing more than half of the county's student population. The tax resolution so far has been approved by the Kalamazoo and Parchment boards, who together represent about 40 percent of county enrollment.

In a Portage school board meeting Monday, Trustee Melanie Kurdys argued the request should be reduced to 1.25 mills to show voters that districts are trying to be fiscally prudent.

Other Portage board members expressed skepticism with that position, saying the savings to taxpayers would be minimal -- about $15 a year -- while districts would lose substantial revenues. Portage is receiving about $3 million from the tax this year and would see that drop by $500,000 if the rate were reduced to 1.25 mills.